


Potions, Sleep and Paper Animals

by Littlezmey



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Fluff, One Shot, Tumblr Prompt, sxvxrxssnape's Snapetober 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:00:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26813278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Littlezmey/pseuds/Littlezmey
Summary: A sleep struggling potions master on his nightly patrols is left a gift that just may help him sleep a little easier.
Relationships: Severus Snape/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 10





	Potions, Sleep and Paper Animals

**Author's Note:**

> It has been an awful long time since I've written anything at all so I apologize in advance for any mistakes I make. I realise it's currently snapetober and I have stumbled upon a post on tumblr by sxvxrxssnape with a list of prompts. I thought I'd give it a go and tried my hand at the first prompt: Insomnia. It features an OC that lives mainly in my head as I've been having trouble writing her particular story. Not sure if I'll write any more but we'll see I guess. Hope you like it! Or at the very least, dont hate it.
> 
> ~Zmey

It wasnt the first time she'd been caught out of bed after hours. In fact, he often hoped he'd catch her whenever he had night duty patrolling the grounds - he couldn't give an answer if ever he was asked why he held such hope though - and would always check the spots she liked the most first.

The quidditch pitch had been the first place he'd caught her, hovering in the center of the field like a leaf mid fall and frozen in time. It was empty.

The forbidden forest was next. In her second year snape had found her cross legged in a clearing with a unicorn resting its head in her lap, the centaurs were watching from the shadows as she played her flute for the slumbering beast. Tonight though the clearing was empty.

Her third year had yielded her favourite spot as it was the one snape had found her more often than not. The first time however she had been standing barefoot in the waters, skipping stones up the steps reflected in the water by the moonlight. It was the first time he had been truly mad at her. The full moon was a dangerous time to be alone outdoors and he found the risk of it to be terribly stupid, more stupid than her wandering the forbidden forest alone. The black lake however remained undisturbed and untouched.

_Perhaps she decided she's had enough of losing their house more house points._ His mouth set into a thin line at the thought as he turned his back on the creatures lurking in the black depth, his robes trailing after him like a shadow on the wind.

There was one more place he thought to try although it wasnt one she went to often, at least not at this time of the night. 

The raven haired professor pushed through the door to his classroom, spying at last the one he had been searching for. She was situated at her usual seat that she took for her potions class, arms stretched across the table as a pillow for her head, her long dark curls shielding her from the light that leaked in from the hallway.

Without really paying any mind to his actions he found himself removing his robes and draping them over her, all the while wondering how she could possibly be comfortable sleeping cross legged on a wooden stool or how her legs for that matter had managed to stay perched on it for that long. His pale hand met the black curtains of her hair as he brushed the curls out of her face, Merlin forbid she suffocate in the thick of it. As he did so he noticed the clear vial she held loosely in her grasp.

_Ah, now I see,_ he thought as he plucked the vial from her hand and stepped back to get a better look at her situation.

He knew what it was before he sniffed it but did so anyway to be sure. It was a regular sleeping draught but not one of his making. He then noticed the clear signs of her having brewed, marks and stains left upon the table she now slept on. Her fingertips were slightly coloured also.

_I suppose I ought to be grateful you didnt steal any from my personal wares,_ he cocked an eyebrow at her. _At least that's what you'd like to think._

Without hesitation, the professor placed the vial in the pocket of his frock coat and shocked even himself as he bent to pick up the girls sleeping form. In one smooth motion he had her cradled in his arms, her dark curls and caramel skin a stark contrast to his ivory hands.

"If you were too tired to tidy up after yourself," he stated as he glided down the halls to the slytherin common room. "And couldn't wait until you were in bed to take the damned potion." He spoke the password and carried her into the common room without breaking his stride. "Then I would've preferred you steal a potion from me that is guaranteed to have been brewed correctly rather than have you concoct one half assed."

Gently, he placed her down in an arm chair in front of the fireplace, transfiguring his robes into a blanket and casting a notice-me-not on her and the chair itself.

"I am going to be incredibly upset with you if I have to remove any more house points because you wont wake up from your half assed potion." He brushed a stray lock behind her ear. "And trust me when I say that should you not wake up in the morning, I will gladly offer my services to madam pomfrey when she decides to keep you locked up in the hospital wing until you get some proper rest."

Like some kind of mother hen, professor snape picked at an invisible lint on his robes-now-blanket before standing and smoothing the creases from his frock coat. He glanced around the room to ensure no one had actually heard his empty threats before making a quick exit back to his own rooms.

As he passed the desk in his classroom he noticed something shiny placed haphazardly in the center. It was an elephant, intricately folded from crimson paper. He tapped it with its wand and softly smiled when it raised itself on its hind paper legs and waved its trunk at him. He picked up the small gift - it was after all a gift - and carried it off into his quarters.

He took a seat in his own armchair and carefully unfolded the enchanted elephant. There was no need to check for any pranking spells or hexes, he knew who it was from. As he opened it fully - ensuring the creases were still there so that he could remake it - he let his eyes roam over the familiar cursive before plucking up the glass vial that had somehow fit into the core of the paper animal.

_Professor,_

_I am leaving you this to apologise in advance. I have a feeling I may leave my work station in a state that is less than satisfactory - not that that's incredibly hard to achieve - and may possibly pass out before I make it back to my dorm. I had had intentions to go find a nice spot under the stars tonight but with as little sleep as I've had, my judgement at the moment is not at its best. They have returned - the nightmares that is. I... I confess that I am struggling. I'm afraid of closing my eyes and i saw no other solution than this._

_I will also confess that I have added an ingredient that may very well get me in trouble however it is not the first time that I have tested this particular recipe - I just want to sleep and dream of pleasant things which is what the sage is for. It also has a slight delayed effect - which hopefully will give me enough time to get back to my bed - as opposed to the regular sleeping draught you have in your stores and will begin to wear off after 6 hours of consumption._

_I know you dont sleep well either so I left a vial for you. Hope you're not too mad. If you are, please dont take it out on the elephant._

_P.s. If you think for a second I won't rat you out to Madam Pomfrey for being an insomniac like me just so that you can suffer the same consequence under her strict watch, then I dare you to do whatever it is you've concocted in that brilliant slytherin brain of yours_

_Hine_

Snape chuckled into his hand, smiling at the threat that was so similar to his own. He popped the vial and checked his watch. It was just nearing midnight which meant that if he took the potion now he'd miss breakfast but he'd make first period. With a shrug of his shoulders he downed the liquid, surprised that it didnt make him want to immediately throw up. He supposed he could've just taken one of his own, but after she'd gone to all that effort and the regular sleep draughts dont have an set expiring time.

Carefully, he refolded the elephant back into the shape he had found it and carried it off to bed. He trusted the girl, of course he did. She was one of the best in his class and the only one who openly questioned the structure of things. Their history was a complicated one but it layed a strong foundation of trust and understanding. Should the potion have some negative effects however, well, he'll just have to kick her ass about it when he awakes.

He kicked his shoes off and stripped down to his boxers, the effects of the potion already making his body feel tingly as the tension just seeped out of him. He barely had enough time to climb under the covers, his hand reaching out across his bedside table to sit the paper elephant on it. The elephant itself sat facing the still figure on the bed, watching him along with the other coloured animals as he slept soundly and undisturbed for the first time in a while.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for making it this far. Big love x


End file.
